Starship Murphy

For those without the time or inclination to create new characters, or who just want to dive in straight away, this page presents a group of pre-generated iconic characters, the crew of the starship Murphy, an old Seeker Class V Scout used as a freighter for smuggling and other missions.

Each of these characters is designed as a starting grade 5 character. You may use these characters as-is, or tweak them to suit you. They differ from the versions found in the Starter Kit because they use the full character creation rules.

Reckless. Sasha gains +1d6 to ranged attacks as long as she has no cover or shield.

Aim. Sasha gains +1d6 to a subsequent ranged attack in the same turn by spending an action aiming.

Dive for cover. When a ranged attack misses Sasha, she can automatically move up to 15' to cover or to a prone position.

Stargazer. Growing up as an itinerant traveller, Sasha can identify which star system she is in simply by looking at the sky.

Push the limits. Sasha became a pilot as soon as she was able to. When piloting a starship, Sasha increases its maximum FTL speed by 1 factor.

Fence. Piloting eventually led to smuggling.Sasha can sell items for 75% of their value instead of 50% when in an urban environment.

Shiv. Sasha's smuggling career was interrupted by a spell in prison on Ganymede. Practiced at improvising weapons from her time in prison, Sasha is always considered to be carrying a knife or a club, even when unarmed, and can use her brawling skill to attack with it.

Seat of your pants. Out of prison, back to the smuggling life she loved. Smugglers rely a lot on old-fashioned luck and bravado. Sasha can recharge her LUCK pool an extra time per day.

The cigar-smoking Sasha Bolotnikov is the leader of the group and captain of the Murphy. A Russian smuggler, she spent time in prison on Ganymede after being caught transporting illegal spices. Upon release from prison, she immediately dove right back into her former career. Cool as a cucumber, Sasha is known for her luck at cards.

Stronger with age. Unlike most species, Ogrons can continue to increase their STR attribute into old age. Ancient Ogrons are often incredibly strong.

Illiterate. Gorrat cannot read. Instead, he has learned to memorize common words which he needs to recognize often. He gains a +1d6 bonus when attempting to recall visual information.

Feint. Gorrat gets a +1d6 bonus to a melee attack roll taken in the same turn. The attack action must come immediately after the feinting action.

Aim. Gorrat gains +1d6 to a subsequent ranged attack in the same turn by spending an action aiming.

Urchin. Gorrat grew up on the streets of his home city, and is very familiar with urban backgrounds, able to blend in easily. With a one-hour period in a new city, he is able to name local crime figures.

Street tough. Life on the streets is tough, and Gorrat became a thug. Gorrat has a natural +2 SOAK when not in armor.

Basic training. Eventually Gorrat joined the military and attended the Academy. Gorrat gained all of the following skills at 1 rank (1d6); this does not increase an existing skill beyond 1 rank: tactics; computers; law; survival.

Quick naps. On his first marine tour, Gorrat learned to manage with little sleep. As long as he gets 4 hours, he counts as fully rested.

Get on with it. Gorrat's platoon didn't have much patience for whining about minor injuries. Once per day he can pause for two actions and recover 2d6 HEALTH.

If Sasha is the Murphy's heart, Gorrat the enormous Ogron marine is its muscle. Nearly 7 feet tall, clad in a heavy, somewhat battered battlesuit with exposed circuitry and jury-rigged patches, and carrying his favorite antimatter rifle, Gorrat is always spoiling for a fight. He is slow on the uptake, never learned to read, and relies on the others to do most of his thinking for him. He does, however, somehow absorb a lot of random sports trivia. Gorrat is fundamentally good-natured, and has a big heart.

Mindless. Androids are immune to any attacks which target MENTAL DEFENSE.

Deterministic. An Android’s PSI or LUCK attributes can never rise above zero.

Electronic vulnerability. As a mechanoid, TikTok is vulnerable (1d6) to electricity damage, and vulnerable (2d6) to ion damage.

Automaton. Androids do not need to eat, sleep, or breathe, and weigh 150% normal.

Scanner. TikTok has a scanner integrated into his circuits. He is always considered to be carrying a hand scanner.

Erudite. Dr. TikTok remembers a vast catalog of knowledge. At any time he may make a LOG check in place of any CHA check to interact with somebody by recalling a piece of trivia of interest to his target. This exploit can only be used once on any given individual.

Aim. TikTok gains +1d6 bonus to a ranged attack roll taken in the same turn. The attack action must come immediately after the aiming action.

Achilles heel. Identifying a weakness in his target, TikTok pays 2d6 and bypasses its SOAK score. This exploit can only be performed once per target.

Technician.From his time on a moisture farm, TikTok is adept at maintaining and repairing old equipment, persuading it to function for far longer than it is designed to. He can make any non-functioning Medium or smaller electronic item work for up to one hour, although it will be permanently broken thereafter.

Bachelor. After a four-year course, TikTok gained a Bachelor's degree at university, improving his skill ranks in his chosen subject of medicine to 3 (already factored, above). His research skills are developed. If he has access to a library or data network, he gains a +1d6 bonus to attempts to learn information about a subject.

Masters.TikTok remained in college and gained a Masters degree in medicine. He gained 1 bonus skill rank in his chosen subject (already factored, above).

Doctorate. After further studies, TikTok gained a Doctorate at university. Gaining a doctorate requires not just an expert knowledge of a subject, but also rigorous skills of analysis and evaluation and critical achievement. TikTok's skill ranks in his chosen subject increased to 6.

Healing hands. Using basic medical equipment, TikTok can heal 1d6 points of HEALTH to an adjacent creature as a single action. Any given creature can only benefit from healing in this way once per day.

Not much use in a fight, TikTok is the Murphy's android medic and general science officer. Originally a technical on a moisture farm, he decided to pursue academic education. He is formally educated, but has little experience outside academia. A qualified doctor, and well-educated in various technical disciplines, TikTok is competent but has a cold nature and tendency to lecture; fortunately this is compensated for by his naivete which makes him strangely likeable. TikTok is fascinated by mythology - especially religions.

Acute hearing. Ashonn's excellent Venetian hearing gives him a +1d6 to perception checks where sound is a factor.

Disciplined.The mental discipline of a Venetian is such that they are completely immune to the fatigued (and other tiredness-related) conditions as long as they get 8 hours sleep per week. This is not a preferred situation, however.

Learned. As a Venetian, Ashonn gains a bonus skill in physics.

Naturally psionic (perception filter). Ashonn can render himself hard to notice with a telepathic effect which causes others to simply ignore him. Perception filters work automatically on those with an INT attribute of less than his PSI attribute (7), while more intuitive creatures will notice him immediately. If he makes an attack, the effect ends immediately. Creatures aware of him cannot thereafter be affected by the perception filter. Activating the perception filter costs Ashonn 5 PSI points.

Young. Once per day, when rolling a dice pool, Ashonn may declare it to be an exploding dice pool. Any 6s that he rolls may be rolled again, the new roll adding to the existing 6. If he rolls a 6 again, repeat, until he rolls less than a 6.

Feint. Ashon gains +1d6 to a subsequent melee attack in the same turn by spending an action feinting.

Quickstand.Once per turn Ashonn can stand immediately from prone as a free action.

Confidant. Being brought up in a monastery has given Ashonn a certain perception. He can discern a lie through a mix of intuition and experience. He gains a +1d6 bonus to discern lies and deceptions.

Troublesense. After the monastery, Ashonn became a police officer. From his time as a cop, Ashonn can easily able to spot trouble before it happens. He gains a +1d6 bonus to INITIATIVE (factored, above).

Laser sword. Ashonn was spotted and recruited from the police quickly, and started training as a star knight. Ashonn can (and has) build his own laser sword.

Summon. Continuing his training, Ashonn learned to telekinetically call a Small or smaller object within 15' to his hand by using two actions. If the object is held by someone else, it requires an opposed PSI vs. STR check. This costs him 4 PSI points.

Missile deflection. A signature star knight technique, Ashonn can deflect incoming ranged attacks with his laser sword. This allows him to use his laser sword for DEFENSE against ranged attacks as well as from melee attacks (factored, above).

Ashonn is a Star Knight, a member of an elite group of laser-sword wielding warriors. He is also a Venetian, disfigured by a training accident when he was younger, which has made him hard to look upon. Ashonn is in love with Earth's culture of fairytales, and views them as true historical stories from which he can learn.

Ambidextrous.Talik gets a free additional melee attack once per turn as an addendum to a melee attack she have already made as long as she is using her claws, a double weapon, or a secondary off-hand weapon. If using a double weapon, it is an attack with that weapon; if using an off-hand weapon, it is an attack with that weapon. This attack takes a -2d6 penalty.

Feint. Talik gains +1d6 to a subsequent melee attack in the same turn by spending an action feinting.

Charge.Talik moves her speed in a straight line and then attack at the END of it and pay 2d6. You gain +1d6 damage to your attack.

Scavenge. Many Felans grow up as urban scavengers, and Talik was no different. Once per day, given an hour in an urban environment, Talik can scavenge one item worth up to 100Cr. This exploit cannot be used during downtime.

Unseen. Scavenging naturally became drifting, as Talik learned to exist on streets, bars, and gambling dens with no abode or goals. She learned to blend in, in that way that people always overlook drifters. She gains a +1d6 bonus to remain unseen when in the open.

Locksmith.Talik came across an exceptional quality lockpicking kit, granting a +1d6 bonus to attempts to pick locks, combinations, guess passwords, or access security panels. This began her career as a burglar.

Catburglar. Her burgling career proving successful, Talik incorporated her species' natural agility to become a high-rise catburglar. An expert at climbing, Talik does not take any die penalties in combat while climbing.

When you're looking for Talik, look up. This black leather-clad Felan is at home on precarious ledges, leaping across the width of entire streets, and climbing to gain high vantage points. Talik is a burglar, adept at sneaking and picking locks, although she suffers from a very short attention span and extreme forgetfulness.

Alcoholic. Holmes is usually drunk. While this can impair his judgment, it also enables him to shrug off injury. He gains +2 SOAK when intoxicated (noted, above).

Aim. Holmes gains +1d6 to a subsequent ranged attack in the same turn by spending an action aiming.

Psi-blast.Holmes can use an action and make a PSI vs. MENTAL DEFENSE attack to blast an opponent with a mental burst which does 2d6 psionic damage and has a range increment of 10'. The psi-blast costs Holmes 4 of his PSI points.

Empath. Holmes realized he was a 'talent' at an early age when he discovered he could sense strong emotions in those with whom he converses.

Bachelor. Rejecting his psionic potential, Holmes headed to college to study linguistics. After a four-year course, he gained a Bachelor's degree (with honors) in linguistics, which gave him 3 ranks in that skill (noted above). His research skills are developed. If he has access to a library or data network, he gains a +1d6 bonus to attempts to learn information about a subject.

Ghostly advice. Holmes' psionic abilities intruded more and more into his life. At first he thought he was hearing voices, but learned to use the power. Once per day Holmes may receive advice from “ghosts” (really lingering consciousness artifacts) which gives him a +2d6 die bonus to the next attribute check he makes within 1 minute.

Fair trade. Throwing in the towel on the linguistics career, Holmes set up as a commercial telepath. He is able to monitor a negotiation or bargaining situation with the agreement of both parties. He immediately sense any falsehood or deception on either part, or if agreement is withdrawn.

Precog. Holmes continued as a telepath, developing his skills. His natural precognition gives him a +1d6 bonus to INITIATIVE checks (factored, above) as well as checks to access the ambush turn.

Holmes never wanted to be a psychic. His talent was discovered by accident when he badly injured another child with an instinctive psi-blast. Viewed as an outsider, he learned quickly to charm his way through awkward situations, and developed into an intuitive, perceptive man with a firm grasp on psychology. Eventually, after obtaining a college degree in linguistics, he gave in and answered his calling, setting up as a commercial telepath.